Museums & Galleries Queensland

6 Jan 2016

What

Museums & Galleries Queensland (M&G QLD) is the peak professional body leading and supporting Queensland’s museum and gallery sector through the delivery of:

sector development
training and professional development
exhibition development and touring
research, advisory and advocacy programs and
services to promote best practice and build skills and capacity.

In 2014, M&G QLD's exhibition touring program showcased the work of 199 artists (61 from Qld) and was viewed by 204,392 state, national and international visitors.

When

2014

Where

QLD: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Caloundra, Charters Towers, Dalby, Emerald, Erub (Darnley Island), Gold Coast, Longreach, Mackay, Miles, Noosa, North Stradbroke Island, Redcliffe, Redland, Richmond, Rockhampton, Townsville.

Interstate: Canberra, Albury, Ballina, Dubbo, Maitland, Mount Tomah, Newcastle, Sydney, Alice Springs, Adelaide, Bendigo, Langwarrin, Melbourne, Morwell, Hobart, Bunbury.

International: Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Chicago, USA, Washington DC, USA.

Arts Queensland contribution

$328,000 – Organisations Fund (2014 calendar year)

$52,451– VACS (2014/15 financial year)

Key stats

204,392 attendees and 427 participants
1,215 individual advice or consultation sessions
65 activities

Outcomes

M&G QLD received Visual Arts and Craft Strategy (VACS) funding towards the following outcomes:

M&G QLD's first international touring exhibition Saltwater Country, showcased the work of 27 leading Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. The exhibition was developed by M&G QLD in partnership with the Gold Coast City Gallery and has provided new networks in the US and The Netherlands for M&G QLD and the artists and co-curator who travelled with the exhibition.
M&G QLD's Energy Efficiency Information Resources for Public Museum and Gallery Sector Project developed advice and resources for the museum/gallery sector on energy use and efficiencies. Five workshops on energy efficiency and sustainable practice were delivered in NSW and Qld in 2014. This work is gaining international attention and is supported by the Department of Industry and Science.
Two Art and Alzheimer's Outreach Program training workshops were delivered regionally in partnership with National Gallery of Australia in 2014. The program demonstrates how art can provide intellectual stimulation and social inclusion to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia.

Learnings and reflections

Digital services were a feature of the innovations M&G QLD introduced in 2014:

“M&G QLD continued to expand its online and hard copy resources provided with every exhibition that we tour.

M&G QLD launched its updated website in December 2014. This is more user friendly, better promotes QLD Museums & Galleries through the improved museum and gallery finder, has improved features to search and access industry resources and provides greater capacity for measuring online engagement.

The upgrade of M&G QLD's website enabled an improved method of communication via the company's weekly e-bulletin. The new-look e-bulletin has increased capacity for embedding images, links and sharing industry news, opportunities and events with the sector.

M&G QLD is the Queensland agency for National Exhibition Touring Support (NETS) Australia. Throughout 2014, NETS Australia partnered with Brisbane-based software developers Ortelia Interactive Services on Ortelia Curator, a new digital tool which enables curators to plan and develop exhibitions virtually, long before physical artworks arrive. In designing exhibitions, curators can now also add moving image, digital and sound-based works. These features allow curators to test the practical concerns of sound and light bleed within the virtual space. The project is part of the National Touring Initiative (NTI), NETS Australia’s four-year project launched in 2012 to deliver cutting-edge, contemporary digital media art to regional and remote audiences across Australia. The project is supported by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy through the Australia Council for the Arts.”

Contact for further information

Email: information@magsq.com.au

Phone: 07 3215 0820

Website: www.magsq.com.au